Author's Note:

During the long break between chapters 50 and 51, I went back and revised all 50 chapters of this story. It took a shit ton of time, but the new chapters are all posted and polished for new readers, (or anyone who decides to re-read some chapters to catch up to current updates).

The revised version hasn't changed much at all. Just fixing grammar mistakes, changing a few sentences, adding page breaks; basically everything my reviewers have been telling me to do for months that I never got around to doing.

The Beauty Pageant

It took a good six months before the sinking of the SS Anne was no longer the main highlight in the local newspapers. First it was on every headline for weeks on end. Then there memorials, multiple analysis's, and fierce debate on just about every news channel. For months one could not pick up a paper without finding a reference to the sinking hidden somewhere amidst the sea of black and white. However, like in all disasters, life moves on.

In Cerulean City, the new widely televised event wasn't a catastrophe or disaster, but rather an annual beauty contest that was held for the breeders of the Kanto Region. It was a huge night for those in the profession; the first place ribbon was highly coveted by breeders and trainers. The event was to be held at the Cerulean City Pokémon Gym, with the sensational sisters as the hosts.

Misty herself was not to be a host, but rather one of the judges. The Gym was packed with trainers and breeders and reporters and the like. All of which were dressed in colorful gowns and sharp suits, with shiny shoes and high heels. Misty felt nervous as she her father and the other judges by the bar to speak with journalists who were reporting on the event. This was the first time Misty got to judge the Cerulean City Beauty Pageant; an honor that usually belonged to her father alone.

Along with her dad, the other judges were Mr. an Mrs. Calloway. They had run a famous Pokémon daycare not to far from the city. There was also an old lady by the name of Eleanor Duvall, who had once won the Pageant seven years running. As the journalists interviewed Ms. Duvall, Misty looked around the room at the different contestants. All had gorgeous looking Pokémon. There was a Butterfree, a Ninetales, a Snubbull, and a myriad of little (mostly pink) fur-balls all competing for a ribbon.

Misty's dad tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up at him to see that he was wearing a sly grin, "Your boyfriend's here!" He pointed at a guy across the room with brown hair and matching eyes. Jethro Brown; Misty's ex.

"Oh God!" Misty said, feeling her face get hot. Her dad laughed. He had been very fond of Jet. Her dad usually didn't like Misty's boyfriends, but he humored Jet because he had once defeated Misty herself for the Cascade Badge. Once the two had met, they got along swimmingly, (much to Misty's displeasure).

"You should go say hi!" Her dad said with an annoyingly big grin.

"You do of course realize that we are no longer together, right?"

Her dad laughed, "That doesn't mean you can't be civil!"

Misty put her hands on her hips, "What happened to the dad that used to threaten my boyfriends during prom dates?"

Her dad shrugged and said, "Or don't say hi. Doesn't matter. I'm going to get some crab cakes, excuse me."

Misty bit her lip as her dad walked off. There was no way she could not talk to Jet. They'd meet eventually. And then of course, there was that part of her that wanted to talk to him. But since they broke up, talking to each other just usually led to a fight followed by angry sex. Then closely followed by awkward mornings and another fight. It was fucking exhausting.

Sucking it up, Misty walked over to Jet, who smiled at her as she approached. She had never seen him dressed up before. The fact that he was at his best tonight seemed to annoy Misty more. Was he here to sleep with her again? Not happening tonight, asshole! No matter much you bat those eyes!

"Wasn't expecting this many people here," Jet said by way of greeting, "how have you been?"

Misty glared at Jet and he smirked, "I know that look. What did I do this time?"

"Why are you here?" Misty asked vehemently.

Jet looked genuinely surprised by the question, "I told you I was entering this contest three weeks ago!"

"What?" Misty then thought about it, "I thought you were joking!"

Jet laughed, "Why? Because you don't think I can win?"

Misty raised an eyebrow, "You do realize this is a beauty pageant, right? Not a battle competition. Your Charmeleon will not do well here."

Jet smiled at Misty, "I wasn't going to enter Thorn, although I do think this contest is shallow in its ideals of what's beautiful and what isn't!" Jet seemed sour about the face that this was one competition his Charmeleon couldn't win.

"Well what then?" Misty asked, now curious, "Your Raichu still has that scar."

"It's a battle wound," Jet said affronted, "and no I will not be entering Spark either."

Misty looked at Jet with an accusing look, "What are you planning to enter?"

"Can't it just be a surprise? As I recall, you seemed to like surprises."

Misty glared at Jet once more. Jet then asked, "I'm not going to have to worry about our personally history affecting the integrity of you judgment, am I?"

Misty was taken aback, "Of course not? Why would you even ask me that question?"

"If I recall correctly," Jet said with a frown, "It was you who threw that clock at my head while I was running out of your apartment half naked when we last spoke."

Misty opened her mouth to argue, but Jet put up his hand in a gesture of silence. He then leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Perhaps, at least while we're in public, you could use your bedroom voice." He then paused and added, "You smell great by the way."

Misty felt her heart quicken, but suddenly remembered she was supposed to be mad, "I wouldn't have thrown that clock at you if you didn't call me a bipolar bitch!" She spoke in a harsh whisper.

Jet shook his head, "I didn't call you a bipolar bitch! I told you to stop acting like one. Uh, uh, ah!" He added as she looked as though she was about to explode, "Temper."

Misty took a deep breath and let it out, "I think, for now, we should save this conversation until after the contest. When there aren't TV cameras all around my Gym."

Jet nodded and said, "Say hi to your dad for me."

Misty stalked off and Jet let out a sigh. He didn't understand why she got so angry over every little thing he did. It was as if they were stuck in an endless cycle of arguments which were only halted when they were fucking. Jet amused himself with the thought that most couples had to be together for years to build the animosity Misty seemed to hold for Jet in just a few short months.

It had started because he apparently spent too much time working and training. Then it was because he didn't hold his end of the conversation. Then it became little things of seemingly no importance, like forgetting to text. Or saying that Rihanna was hot. It all became too much.

Still, Jet admitted to himself as Misty walked away to join the other judges, Her ass looks great in that dress! Jet smiled to himself as he recalled some of the better parts of their relationship. Their trips to the boardwalk, their nights out and about the city. He reminisced over their training sessions with their Pokémon, and how much they had in common when it came to league favorites. He thought back to their awkward first sexual encounters, and how they eventually became so comfortable with each other's bodies that half the time they spent in her apartment was spent completely nude.

All in all he missed Misty. As much as they argued and fought, Jet loved that little red head! From her ridiculous side ponytail that she wore when she was working in the pool, right down to her size six feet. She was partially the reason he had stayed in Cerulean for so long.

He loved the City as well. He had grown comfortable at his job at the battle club. He loved food, the night clubs, the battles with the locals. He loved hanging out in Misty's Gym and eating with her family. He loved the fact that the city was only a couple hours away from Pallet Town on the free-way. Jet had often visited his home with Misty to check in with his family.

Now that Jet's relationship with Misty seemed to be over, however, he had contemplated moving on. He wanted to start traveling again. He wanted to catch new Pokémon. He had already spent the winter training all of his weaker Pokémon. He had been winning dozens of battle competitions all over the city. And it the Cascade Badge was nestled in his badge case for months. The only thing that was really keeping Jet in Cerulean was his job at the battle club, and Bill was coming into town in a few days to replace him as manager.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Jet looked up as Violet took the stage, "the Pageant will begin in thirty minutes. Thank you for your patience."

A half hour, huh? Jet thought to himself as he questioned why he showed up on time in the first place. He then sighed and resigned to check out the competition.

He had never been in a beauty pageant, though he had seen a few on TV. Pokémon contests were difficult because it was based off opinion and style, rather than skill and brute strength. From the looks of the competitors, many of these Pokémon had probably never been in a real battle all of their lives. They were like show dogs.

Jet soon found a familiar face among the competition. It was AJ Thompson; a guy Jet lost to back in Vermillion City. While most people were wearing tuxedo's, AJ simply wore slacks and a gulf shirt. His tribal tattoos were clearly visible under his short sleeves. On his shoulder was a small Butterfree with very exquisite designs on its wings.

Jet walked up and said, "Wasn't expecting to see you here."

AJ looked up at the sound of Jet's voice, "Sorry, friend, but I'm not sure I know who you are."

Jet laughed, "No need to apologize! I'm bad with names and faces too! I remember yours, though! I lost a match against your Sandshrew once. I usually don't forget people I lose battles to."

AJ smiled at Jet, "Guess you don't lose too often, then?"

"No," Jet said mildly. "Course, I don't have a track record like you! Ninety-eight wins when I last checked."

AJ's eyes widened, "Oh yeah, I remember you now! The guy with the Scyther! Yeah that winning streak is long gone! I made myself a promise that I wouldn't start collecting badges until my hundredth win. Got to a hundred, then faced the Vermillion City Gym Leader."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "Lost to Surge, huh?"

AJ sighed, "Fucker whipped my ass up and down that field. He had this fucking Toxicroak… Well anyway, I'm back at twenty eight. Thought I'd try my hand at this Pageant, seeing as how I'm in town and all."

AJ's Butterfree began to sniff his head. AJ turned and smiled at it, "Will you stop that? It's a new shampoo, alright?"

Far from stopping, the Butterfree began to ruffle its trainer's hair affectionately until he recalled it into its pokeball.

Jet nodded at the pokeball, "Seems friendly enough."

"Yeah," AJ scowled, "Too friendly. She's been that way since she was a Caterpie. We got some time before this thing starts, how 'bout you and I grab a beer."

Jet nodded, "Might as well."

The pair made their way to the open bar where in which they grabbed a couple of lagers. While the rest of the competitors were grooming attending their Pokémon in preparation for the main event, Jet and AJ found a couple of chairs against the wall.

"You don't strike me as a breeder," AJ said thoughtfully, "How'd you end up here?"

Jet sipped his drink and said, "I'm versatile. My Pokémon are good for more than fighting."

"That right," AJ said thoughtfully. He then caught a glimpse of Daisy and said, "Man what I wouldn't give for a taste of one of those sensational sisters."

Jet smiled, "Two are married and one just got engaged."

AJ snorted, "Damn shame. Where'd you hear that, tabloids?"

Jet shook his head, "I used to date their sister."

"Nice."

"She'll be the cute red haired judge glaring at me during the competition."

AJ laughed, "What did you do?"

Jet smiled back, "Let you know when I find out!"

"Women," AJ said just before taking another sip. Jet and AJ talked for another fifteen minutes. Jet told AJ about his time with Professor Oak, and how he ended up leaving Pallet Town to try his luck at catching and training his own Pokémon.

AJ, for his part, told Jet how his dad trained Pokémon for a circus, ("I knew it!" exclaimed Jet), and how he was given his Sandshrew when he first got a license.

"All these years together and he still refuses to evolve!" AJ explained, "Don't get me wrong, I love the lil guy to death, but god damn!"

Jet laughed and said, "Can't help you there."

AJ took a sip of his third beer and asked, "What Pokémon are you entering in this contest anyway? Not your Scyther, I'd imagine."

Jet shook his head, "Nah. You'll see when the contest starts."

AJ laughed, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot we're competing against each other!"

Jet laughed too. Violet got back up on stage and announced that the Pageant would begin in five minutes, and asked all contestants to proceed back stage.

Jet stood up and said, "Talk to you after the Pageant?"

AJ nodded and said, "Yeah, Jet, good luck!"

Jet smiled back, "You too! Let's get this glorified dog show over with!"

Author's Notes:

Just a reminder; next chapter the title of this story will change from Into the Fire to Pokémon: Blood Red. Inconvenient, I know, but I find the new title to be much more fitting to the story.

Anyway, let me know what you think of the new chapter! Please Review!